The Terrorist – Hacker Hacktivist Distinction
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This is an accepted manuscript version for a book chapter published in Terrorists' Use of the Internet. Please cite as: Tanczer, L.M. (2017). The Terrorist – Hacker/Hacktivist Distinction: An Investigation of Self-Identified Hackers and Hacktivists. In M. Conway, L. Jarvis, O. Lehane, S. Macdonald & L. Nouri (Eds.), Terrorists' Use of the Internet. (pp. 77-92). Amsterdam: IOS Press. The final publication is available at IOS Press through http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-765-8-77. The copyright belongs to the author. www.iospress.nl Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2998202 The Terrorist – Hacker/Hacktivist Distinction: An Investigation of Self-Identified Hackers and Hacktivists Leonie Maria TANCZERa,1 aUniversity College London Abstract. The academic literature on terrorism is filled with references to online activities and the equation of hacking and hacktivism (i.e., politically motivated hacking) with cyberterrorism. This perspective ignores differences in capacities, scope, and motives in hackers/hacktivists. Besides, scholarly research is lacking examinations of those being perceived as alleged ‘security threats’. The present paper therefore uses interviews with self-identified hackers and hacktivists (N = 35) to address this gap. It examines the distinction between hacking, hacktivism, and cyberterrorism and studies the discourses and practices of hackers and hacktivists. Building upon the theoretical concept of (in)securitisation and the method of thematic analysis, the findings provide insights into the perceived (a) external assessment of hackers and hacktivists by external actors and their (b) self-assessment that stands in contrast to the viewpoints expressed earlier. The results highlight interviewees’ objection to the translation of hacking and hacktivism into violent acts of any nature, with participants articulating that the connection of these concept poses threats to civil liberties and political rights online. The paper has implications both for the academic as well as professional discourse. It seeks to foster a more reflected engagement with these concepts and is pointing to the need for concrete terminological delineations. Keywords. Hacking, hacktivism, cyberterrorism, cybersecurity, online activism, critical terrorism studies 1. Introduction The terrorism literature is filled with references to online activities, amplified through the gradient use of the internet and its substantial penetration of nearly all aspects of our life. With these developments in mind, also the fear of an alleged ‘cyberterrorism’ attack is gaining popularity. This is fuelled by the medial and academic discourse [1], while empirical observations of its factual existence and impact are practically absent. Particularly the interconnectedness of cyberterrorism with the concepts of hacking and less frequently hacktivism are thereby noteworthy. These perceptions range from hackers depicted as terrorists as well as terrorist hackers [2], notions of hackers-for-hire, or the understanding of hacktivists as being essentially cyberterrorists [3]. Specifically the latter equation of hacktivism and cyberterrorism is hereby of concern. It implies the labelling of politically motivated hacking as a form of online activism being akin to fundamental violent acts such as terrorism. This shifts the clichéd claim of ‘one person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter’ [4] onto the online sphere. While past examinations within the terrorist literature have engaged with this question [3,5,6], many of the existing publications fail to engage with the hacker and hacktivist community themselves. This creates a notional engagement with the issue, leaving a blind spot to the ethnographic dynamics and the voice of self-identified hackers and hacktivists. The current paper therefore uses the existing literature on the topic as a starting point to re-emphasise the idea that hacking and hacktivism should not be mistaken for terrorism. This is done through interviews with those directly affected by this equation. Thus, the paper investigates the discourse and practices of self-identified hackers and hacktivists. The analysis firstly provides a conceptual grounding of the terms while reviewing the existing publications on the issue. It thereupon outlines the methods used in this study, which is followed by an in-depth analysis of the arguments provided by the interviewed participants. The paper ends with a discussion on the broader implications of the findings for both academics and security practitioners and hopes to stimulate a more critical, reflective engagement with the concept of hacking and hacktivism. 1.1. From Terror to Cyber to Hacktivism Debates on terrorism have marked the academic literature for decades. The disputes range from definitional discrepancies to the methodological challenges of studying such an amorphous concept. Although scholars 1Corresponding Author. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2998202 such as Schmid and Jongman [7] try to provide elaborate examinations that seek to give an all- encompassing definition of this “method or technique of instrumental terror” (p. 55) [8], the idea of a distinct form of ‘cyber’-terrorism adds to the complexity of what characterises terrorism from, for example, other forms of political violence. Just as Laqueur [9] claims that society is confronted with “different terrorisms” (p. 99), cyberterrorism seems in this regard only as one further form of a broader range of tactics. Despite the existence of the term cyberterrorism for nearly twenty years [10,11] the concept itself is contested and contradictory [1]. Probably one of the most commonly cited sources on the issue relates back to Denning [12] and her testimony before the United States (US) Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism: Cyberterrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks, and the information stored therein when done to intimidate or coerce a government or its people in furtherance of political or social objectives. Further, to qualify as cyberterrorism, an attack should result in violence against persons or property, or at least cause enough harm to generate fear. Attacks that lead to death or bodily injury, explosions, plane crashes, water contamination, or severe economic loss would be examples. Serious attacks against critical infrastructures could be acts of cyberterrorism, depending on their impact. Attacks that disrupt nonessential services or that are mainly a costly nuisance would not. Notwithstanding the severity that Denning [12] expresses, publications frequently associate very benign activities such as website defacements with cyberterrorism. Weimann [13] echoed this, arguing that while concerns about the potential danger posed by cyberterrorism are according to him well founded, the fears that have been voiced in the media, political arenas or public forums seem not always reasonable. Incidents by individual hackers or hacktivist collectives such as Anonymous have repeatedly been conflated with the spectre of cyberterrorism. For example, leaked documents display that associated members of the hacktivist collective Anonymous were put on a FBI terrorism watch list prior to their arrest [14]. This, however, does not sufficiently represent their often innocuous intent. Some are aiming to reveal injustices or security flaws. While these acts might disrupt normal operations, cases are rare – if not inexistent – in which these incidents are then actually causing the kind of ‘serious’ damage Denning [12] is articulating. Besides, these examples not only raise a concern regarding the way the concepts of computer misuse or terrorism are framed, but also in relation to the way hackers and hacktivists are perceived. Hackers or hacktivists are part of what Mott [15] called the “faceless detractors of security” (p. 34). This idea is deriving from the physical distance between the attacker and the target but also the inherent inability to actively see and frequently also identify the assailant. Hacking, as already highlighted in an earlier publication [16], relates to computer hacking [17], which can be considered as activities ranging from gaining unauthorized access to systems or data [18], to the production of free software [19], to manipulating technology for unorthodox means [20]. Hackers’ representation has undergone a massive shift. Initially associated with a “geeky, apolitical (…) boyish” character (p. 1167) towards malicious thieves, or even the embodiment of terrorism [21]. Hacktivism on the other hand occupies an ambiguous position within the body of literature. The term has not been coined by Denning [22], as argued by some authors [13], but seems to date back far earlier to 1994. It derived from a member of the hacker collective ‘Cult of the Dead Cow’ [23] to describe hacking for political purposes. Hacktivism is a conflation of hacking and activism and currently commonly linked with publicly known collectives such as Anonymous, LulzSec, and to certain extend even the whistle- blower platform WikiLeaks [24-27]. While in many instances the term is associated with negative connotations, authors such as Deibert and Rohozinksi [28] or Kingsmith [24] perceive hacktivism rather positively. Hacktivists’ ability to build tools which promote access to information and openness through the circumvention of surveillance and filtering are considered useful across various